Draft Native Vegetation Regulatory map

• A draft native vegetation regulatory map was initially published for 11 local government areas in October 2022.
• The second stage of the draft native vegetation regulatory map release has now been published to cover all areas in the Riverina and Murray Local Land Services regions.
• The draft native vegetation regulatory map has been released for 15% of the state.
• The draft map does not have legal effect - that is, it does not impose any new legal obligations and is not binding.
• Landholders can seek a free review of the draft map as it relates to their land. The review will normally be completed in 40 days.

Around 6% of New South Wales was formally mapped in 2017 to identify sensitive and vulnerable categories of land. There is a legal obligation to map 2 other categories of land across the state - category 1 (exempt) and category 2 (regulated) land.

The draft native vegetation regulatory map will be published in stages, and the map will be finalised only after its accuracy is further improved in consultation with landholders.

When the map is published in your area, landholders can request a free map review at any time now or in the future.

As part of the staged process, a draft map showing these categories is now available for Hilltops, Upper Lachlan and Yass Valley local government areas in the South East Local Land Services region and all areas of the Riverina and Murray Local Land Services regions. Releasing the draft map allows us to undertake further consultation and ensure landholders are best supported through this process.

Covering nearly 16.8 million hectares, these areas have a diversity of farming activities and vegetation types and are ideal for initiating a review of the draft native vegetation regulatory map.

Publication of the draft map

The draft map is being published to enable landholders to review the accuracy of the map of their land before the map is finalised. Landholders can still request map revisions without charge even after the map is finalised.

The draft native vegetation regulatory map does not create new regulatory requirements or place additional requirements on landholders. While the draft native vegetation regulatory map is under review, land categories remain defined by the criteria in the legislation.

While it is only a draft, landholders can consider the draft native vegetation regulatory map when making decisions about native vegetation management. For example, if landholders agree that land mapped as draft category 1 (exempt) land meets the criteria in the Local Land Services Act, they can feel confident they do not require Local Land Services approval to clear native vegetation on that land. Being able to see the draft native vegetation regulatory map can help reduce the risk of the landholder making an error in deciding what category an area of land is in, which may inadvertently lead to breaches of the Local Land Services Act.

Checking the draft map and seeking reviews

If you live within the release region described above and are considering managing native vegetation on your land, you can:

• view the draft map
• learn about what the categories mean and what you can do in these areas by requesting a free category explanation report
• request a free map review now or at any time in the future – if you think the draft map is inaccurate in specific areas, you can supply more information by contacting us, which will be assessed in relation to the land category criteria specified in the Local Land Services Act.

A staged release for New South Wales

The draft native vegetation regulatory map will be published in stages. If you are outside the current release region and would like to be notified when the map becomes available in your area, send us an enquiry.

Benefits of the draft map for a landholder

Simplifying self-assessment

The draft native vegetation regulatory map does not create new regulatory requirements or place additional requirements on you. While the draft native vegetation regulatory map is under review, land categories remain defined by the criteria in the legislation; the Local Land Services website includes resources that can assist.

The draft native vegetation regulatory map is an additional resource. While it is only a draft, you can consider it in making their decisions about native vegetation management.

Get on with business and operate with confidence

While it is only a draft, you can consider the draft native vegetation regulatory map when making decisions about vegetation management. If the areas mapped as draft category 1 (exempt) land meet the criteria of the Local Land Services Act, native vegetation clearing is not restricted under the Act in those areas.

Discover economic opportunities

You may own areas mapped as sensitive, vulnerable or category 2 (regulated) land, which are natural capital assets that could generate economic benefits. These areas can potentially provide economic opportunities, including:

• biodiversity credits: generating biodiversity credits for sale through the Biodiversity Credits Supply Fund and Taskforce
• carbon credits: receiving incentives and private equity through carbon trading schemes

Biodiversity Credits Supply Fund

Reviews made easy

The department's Map Review Team is here to help you. If you have concerns about how the map categorises your land, please contact us for a free map review using our enquiry form.